Home system, control device, faucet system, diagnosis result identification device, terminal device, diagnosis result identification method, and diagnosis result identification program

Abstract

This home system comprises: housing equipment, a terminal device, a control device that controls the housing equipment and can perform short-distance wireless communication with the terminal device; and a diagnosis result identification device that can communicate with the terminal device. The terminal device acquires a device diagnosis result on the basis of the short-distance wireless communication with the control device. The diagnosis result identification device acquires the device diagnosis result from the terminal device, and identifies the device diagnosis result acquired from the terminal device by using temporarily valid simple identification information linked to the acquired device diagnosis result.

Description

Home system, control device, faucet system, diagnostic result identification device, terminal device, diagnostic result identification method, and diagnostic result identification program

[0001] This disclosure relates to a home system, a control device, a faucet system, a diagnostic result identification device, a terminal device, a diagnostic result identification method, and a diagnostic result identification program. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-030796, filed on February 29, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The number of home appliances that can be connected to the Internet is increasing. Smart home systems that utilize home appliances connected to the Internet to provide users with comfortable and convenient functions have been proposed.

[0003] For household equipment connected to the Internet, information such as the usage history of the household equipment can be obtained by an external communication device via the Internet. A method for connecting household equipment connected to the Internet to an operator terminal of a call center has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-218810

[0005] When a user makes an inquiry about a home appliance by telephone or other means to a call center, even if the call center operator terminal is able to obtain the information necessary for support from the home appliance, the user may not be able to identify the home appliance or the information obtained from the home appliance, and it may take time to communicate with the call center operator.

[0006] In light of the above circumstances, the present disclosure aims to provide a home system, a control device, a faucet system, a diagnostic result identification device, a terminal device, a diagnostic result identification method, and a diagnostic result identification program that make it easy for users, call center operators, etc. to identify information obtained from home appliances via the Internet.

[0007] A home system according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises a home appliance, a terminal device, a control device that controls the home appliance and is capable of short-range wireless communication with the terminal device, and a diagnostic result identification device that is capable of communicating with the terminal device, wherein the terminal device acquires a device diagnostic result based on short-range wireless communication with the control device, and the diagnostic result identification device acquires the device diagnostic result from the terminal device and identifies the device diagnostic result acquired from the terminal device using temporarily valid simple identification information linked to the acquired device diagnostic result.

[0008] A control device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit that controls residential equipment and a communication unit capable of short-range wireless communication with a terminal device, wherein the control unit generates a device diagnostic result based on instructions from the terminal device, and the communication unit transmits the device diagnostic result via the terminal device to a diagnostic result identification device that identifies the device diagnostic result using temporarily valid simple identification information linked to the device diagnostic result.

[0009] A diagnostic result identification device according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is a diagnostic result identification device capable of communicating with a terminal device, which acquires a device diagnostic result from the terminal device and identifies the device diagnostic result using temporarily valid simple identification information linked to the acquired device diagnostic result.

[0010] A terminal device according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure acquires a device diagnostic result based on short-range wireless communication with a control device that controls a home appliance, and transmits the device diagnostic result to a diagnostic result identification device that identifies the device diagnostic result using temporarily valid simple identification information linked to the device diagnostic result.

[0011] A diagnostic result identification method according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is a method for identifying device diagnostic results obtained from a control device that controls residential equipment, which obtains the device diagnostic results based on short-range wireless communication with the control device, and identifies the device diagnostic results using temporarily valid simple identification information linked to the obtained device diagnostic results.

[0012] A diagnostic result identification program according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a program for identifying device diagnostic results obtained from a control device that controls residential equipment, and for acquiring the device diagnostic results based on short-range wireless communication with the control device, and for identifying the device diagnostic results using temporarily valid simple identification information linked to the acquired device diagnostic results.

[0013] It is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a home system according to one embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of a control device of the home system. It is a functional block diagram of a smartphone of the home system. It is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the home system. It is a sequence diagram showing another operation of the home system.

[0014] A home system 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.

[0015] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the home system 100. The home system 100 includes a household appliance 1, a control device 2, an access point 3, a smartphone 4, an equipment management server 5, a user management server 6, an EC server 7, and a call center server 8. The access point 3, the smartphone 4, the equipment management server 5, the user management server 6, the EC server 7, and the call center server 8 are connected via a network NW.

[0016] The network NW may be a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, a private network (LAN) within the building where the home system 100 is installed, or a combination thereof. The network NW may be either a wired or wireless network. Communication between devices may involve other devices such as an access point.

[0017] [Household Equipment 1] The household equipment 1 is a device installed in a house HO as equipment, such as a faucet device 1A or a toilet device 1B. The household equipment 1 includes building materials such as shutters, doors, windows, and locks; cameras such as outdoor and indoor cameras; energy management devices such as distribution boards and solar power generation systems; and sensors such as temperature and humidity sensors and motion sensors. The house HO to which the household equipment 1 is installed includes not only residential buildings but also non-residential buildings such as offices, schools, and hospitals. The household equipment 1 has a manual control input mechanism that accepts manual control instructions from the user and a remote control input mechanism that accepts remote control instructions from a control device 2 or the like. For example, the control instructions accepted by the faucet device 1A include instructions for water discharge, water stop, temperature adjustment, flow rate adjustment, and a series of combinations of these instructions. A home system 100 including the faucet device 1A as the household equipment 1 is also referred to as a "faucet system."

[0018] 2 is a functional block diagram of the control device 2. The control device 2 controls the operation of the household equipment 1. A control device 2 is provided for each household equipment 1. The control device 2 may be provided inside the household equipment 1 and integrated with the household equipment 1. The control device 2 has a control unit 21, a wireless communication unit 22, and a recording unit 23.

[0019] The control unit 21 is a computer capable of executing a program, including a processor such as a CPU, a memory into which a program can be read, a storage unit into which a program and data can be stored, and an input / output control unit. The functions of the control unit 21 are realized by the processor executing a program provided to the control unit 21.

[0020] The control unit 21 controls the household equipment 1 based on control instructions acquired via the wireless communication unit 22. The control unit 21 also acquires a usage history (log) of the household equipment 1 and stores the usage history in the recording unit 23 as part of the user-related information 25. The control unit 21 also acquires status information that enables the usage status of consumables in the household equipment 1 to be understood and stores the status information in the recording unit 23 as part of the user-related information 25. The control unit 21 also controls the wireless communication unit 22 to communicate wirelessly with the access point 3 and the smartphone 4.

[0021] The wireless communication unit 22 has an antenna and the like, and has a function of communicating via wireless LAN communication WC1 such as Wi-Fi, and a function of communicating via short-range wireless communication WC2 such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark). The wireless communication unit 22 can communicate with the access point 3 via wireless LAN communication WC1 based on instructions from the control unit 21. The wireless communication unit 22 can communicate with the wireless communication unit 42 of the smartphone 4 via short-range wireless communication WC2 based on instructions from the control unit 21.

[0022] The recording unit 23 includes a recording medium such as a hard disk, a flash memory, etc. The recording unit 23 records a user authentication code 24, user-related information 25, and wireless connection information 26.

[0023] The user authentication code 24 is a unique code assigned to a user in the home system 100, and is a code for authenticating the user in the home system 100. The user authentication code 24 is, for example, a combination of a user ID and a password corresponding to the user ID, or a token generated based on the user ID.

[0024] User-related information 25 is information related to the user who uses the household equipment 1. User-related information 25 includes a usage history (log) of the household equipment 1 and status information that enables understanding of the usage status of consumables in the household equipment 1. For example, the status information for the faucet device 1A includes the amount of water used and the duration of use of the faucet device 1A.

[0025] The wireless connection information 26 includes wireless connection information required for communicating with the access point 3 via wireless LAN communication WC1, and is, for example, a combination of a WiFi SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​and a password corresponding to the SSID.

[0026] The wireless connection information 26 includes wireless connection information necessary for communicating with the smartphone 4 via short-range wireless communication WC2, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) pairing information.

[0027] [Access Point 3] The access point 3 is installed in the home HO and has a function of communicating via wireless LAN communication WC1 such as Wi-Fi. The access point 3 communicates with the control device 2 via the wireless LAN communication WC1. The access point 3 also relays communication with the control device 2 via the wireless LAN communication WC1 to the network NW via the gateway GW.

[0028] A plurality of access points 3 may be installed in the home HO. The access points 3 may have a repeater 31 for the wireless LAN communication WC1. Communication between the access points 3 and the control device 2 via the wireless LAN communication WC1 may go through the repeater 31.

[0029] [Smartphone 4] Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram of the smartphone 4. The smartphone 4 is an example of a mobile terminal or terminal device. The mobile terminal or terminal device is not limited to the smartphone 4, and may be, for example, a mobile phone, a smart watch, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, etc. The smartphone 4 has a control unit 41, a wireless communication unit 42, a touch panel 43, a camera 44, and a microphone 45.

[0030] The control unit 41 is a computer capable of executing programs, including a processor such as a CPU, a memory into which programs can be read, a storage unit into which programs and data can be stored, and an input / output control unit. The functions of the control unit 41 are realized by the processor executing a program provided to the control unit 41. The program provided to the control unit 41 is also referred to as an application. The control unit 41 controls the wireless communication unit 42, the touch panel 43, the camera 44, and the microphone 45.

[0031] The wireless communication unit 42 has an antenna and the like, and has a function of communicating via short-range wireless communication WC2 such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or ZigBee (registered trademark), and a function of communicating via high-speed wireless communication WC3 that can connect to the network NW using a fourth-generation communication standard, a fifth-generation communication standard, or the like. The wireless communication unit 42 can communicate with the wireless communication unit 22 of the control device 2 via the short-range wireless communication WC2 based on instructions from the control unit 41. The wireless communication unit 42 can communicate with the device management server 5, the user management server 6, the EC server 7, and the call center server 8 via the high-speed wireless communication WC3 that is connected to a base station and the network NW based on instructions from the control unit 41.

[0032] The touch panel 43 is, for example, a capacitance type touch panel. An input operation input by a user to the touch panel 43 is acquired by the control unit 41. The touch panel 43 displays a display screen based on an instruction from the control unit 41.

[0033] A smart home application AP is installed on the smartphone 4, which is an application that provides comfortable and convenient functions to the user by utilizing the household equipment 1 connected to the network NW.

[0034] The smart home application AP can generate remote control instructions for the household equipment 1. The remote control instructions for the household equipment 1 are acquired by the device management server 5 via the network NW. The wireless communication unit 22 of the control device 2 acquires the remote control instructions for the household equipment 1 via the access point 3. The control unit 21 of the control device 2 controls the household equipment 1 based on the acquired control instructions. The user can remotely operate the household equipment 1 using the smart home application AP whether they are at home or away from home.

[0035] The smart home application AP communicates with the control device 2 via short-range wireless communication WC2, instructs the control device 2 to perform device diagnosis of the household equipment 1 and the control device 2, and can obtain device diagnosis results from the control device 2. The smart home application AP may generate device diagnosis results based on information obtained from the control device 2. The device diagnosis results include a user authentication code 24 and at least a portion of the user-related information 25. The smart home application AP can upload the device diagnosis results of the household equipment 1 to the user management server 6, the call center server 8, etc. Note that the device diagnosis results may include the diagnosis results of at least one of the household equipment 1 and the control device 2.

[0036] [Device Management Server 5] The device management server 5 is configured, for example, by one or more servers and can be connected to the network NW. The server includes hardware such as a processor such as a CPU, memory, recording media such as a hard disk or flash memory, and a communication device. The functions of the device management server 5 are realized by a program executed on the server's processor. The server may be an on-site server, or a cloud server that provides infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), software as a service (SaaS), or the like, or a server that combines these. In the following description, "server" includes any of the above servers.

[0037] The device management server 5 is a server that manages the household equipment 1. The device management server 5 acquires control instructions for the household equipment 1 generated in the smart home application AP. The control instructions for the household equipment 1 are acquired by the control device 2. The device management server 5 records the control instructions for the household equipment 1 generated by the user as a control instruction history. The device management server 5 also acquires status information from the control device 2 that enables the usage status of consumables in the household equipment 1 to be understood. The device management server 5 records the control instruction history for the household equipment 1 and the status information of the household equipment 1 as user-related information 25.

[0038] [User Management Server 6] The user management server 6 is configured by, for example, one or more servers, and can be connected to the network NW. The functions of the user management server 6 are realized by a program executed on a processor of the server.

[0039] The user management server 6 is a server that manages a user authentication code 24. A user of the home system 100 can obtain the user authentication code 24 from the user management server 6. The user authentication code 24 obtained by the user is also recorded in the control device 2 and the device management server 5. The user authentication code 24 obtained by the user is also registered in the smart home application AP of the smartphone 4. A control instruction for the household equipment 1 generated by the user in the smart home application AP is obtained by the device management server 5 and the control device 2 that are associated based on the user authentication code 24.

[0040] [EC Server 7] The EC (Electronic Commerce) server 7 is configured by, for example, one or more servers and is connectable to a network NW. The functions of the EC server 7 are realized by a program executed by a processor of the server.

[0041] The EC server 7 is a server that can order consumables for the household equipment 1. A user can order consumables for the household equipment 1 using the website of the EC server 7. A user can also order consumables for the household equipment 1 using a smart home application AP on a smartphone 4. The device management server 5 may also order consumables based on the acquired status information of the household equipment 1.

[0042] [Call Center Server 8] The call center server 8 is configured, for example, by one or more servers and can be connected to the network NW. The call center is an equipment supplier that receives inquiries from users via telephone or the like regarding the housing equipment 1. The functions of the call center server 8 are realized by a program executed on the processor of the server.

[0043] The call center server 8 is a server installed in the call center of the housing equipment 1. The call center server 8 acquires the usage history (log) of the housing equipment 1 via the network NW. When responding to inquiries from users by telephone or the like, the call center operator uses the usage history (log) acquired by the call center server 8.

[0044] Two or more of the device management server 5, user management server 6, EC server 7, and call center server 8 may be the same server.

[0045] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the home system 100. Hereinafter, the operation of the home system 100 will be described with reference to a sequence diagram of the home system 100 shown in FIG.

[0046] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the user management server 6 and the call center server 8 function as a "diagnostic result identification device" and support communication between users who make inquiries to the call center by telephone or the like and call center operators.

[0047] Now, let us assume that a malfunction including a communication failure has occurred in the household equipment 1 and the control device 2, such as an inability to communicate with the access point 3 via wireless LAN communication WC1. The user, recognizing the malfunction, connects the smartphone 4 to the control device 2 via short-range wireless communication WC2 and launches the smart home application AP. Using the smart home application AP, the user instructs the control device 2 to perform device diagnosis of the household equipment 1 and the control device 2.

[0048] In step S100 , the control unit 41 of the smartphone 4 instructs the control device 2 to perform device diagnosis of the household equipment 1 and the control device 2 .

[0049] In step S110, the control unit 21 of the control device 2 performs device diagnosis of the household equipment 1 and the control device 2, generates a device diagnosis result, and transmits the device diagnosis result to the smartphone 4. Note that the control unit 41 of the smartphone 4 may generate the device diagnosis result based on information acquired from the control device 2.

[0050] In step S120 , the control unit 41 of the smartphone 4 uploads the device diagnosis result to the user management server 6 .

[0051] In step S130, the user management server 6 generates simple identification information corresponding to the device diagnosis results. The simple identification information is a simpler identifier than the user authentication code 24 managed by the user management server 6. The simple identification information is temporarily valid information that is uniquely identifiable in a specified area for a specified period of time. The simple identification information is easy to remember and easily communicate verbally, such as 2-4 alphanumeric characters, a password, or an illustration. The user management server 6 generates the simple identification information using, for example, random numbers.

[0052] In step S140, the user management server 6 links the device diagnosis result to the simple identification information and transmits the device diagnosis result linked with the simple identification information to the call center server 8. The call center server 8 can identify the user from the user authentication code 24 included in the device diagnosis result, and can also obtain the simple identification information linked with the device diagnosis result.

[0053] In step S150, the user management server 6 transmits the simplified identification information to the smartphone 4 that transmitted the device diagnosis result. The simplified identification information is registered in the smart home application AP. The user can recognize the simplified identification information corresponding to the transmitted device diagnosis result in the smart home application AP.

[0054] A user who makes an inquiry to the call center by telephone or the like conveys the simplified identification information to the call center operator orally, etc. The call center operator can identify the device diagnosis result corresponding to the user's inquiry based on the simplified identification information.

[0055] Next, another operation of the home system 100 will be described with reference to the sequence diagram of the home system 100 shown in Fig. 5. Steps S100 to S110 are the same as the operation of the home system 100 shown in Fig. 4.

[0056] A user who has obtained the device diagnosis result using the smart home application AP makes an inquiry to the call center by telephone, etc. An operator at the call center prepares simple identification information to be communicated to the user.

[0057] In step S220, the call center server 8 requests the user management server 6 to generate simplified identification information based on instructions from the call center operator.

[0058] In step S230, the user management server 6 generates simplified identification information in response to the request for generation of simplified identification information. The generation of simplified identification information is the same as in step S130.

[0059] In step S240, the user management server 6 transmits the simplified identification information to the call center server 8.

[0060] In step S250, the call center server 8 transmits the simplified identification information to the user's smartphone 4. The simple identification information is linked to the device diagnosis result in the smart home application AP. The call center operator may also verbally communicate the simplified identification information to the user by telephone, etc. In this case, the user links the simplified identification information to the device diagnosis result in the smart home application AP.

[0061] In step S260, the control unit 41 of the smartphone 4 transmits the device diagnosis result linked with the simple identification information to the call center server 8. The call center server 8 can identify the user from the user authentication code 24 included in the device diagnosis result, and can also acquire the simple identification information linked with the device diagnosis result.

[0062] The call center operator can identify the device diagnosis result corresponding to the user's inquiry based on the simplified identification information.

[0063] According to the home system 100 of this embodiment, the user and the call center operator can easily identify the device diagnosis results obtained from the household equipment 1 via the Internet. The simple identification information is simpler than the user authentication code 24, which tends to be a complex string of characters, and therefore can be easily communicated verbally. Furthermore, because the simple identification information is temporarily unique, the call center operator can reliably identify the device diagnosis results.

[0064] In this embodiment, the diagnostic result identification device is configured by the user management server 6 and the call center server 8, but the configuration of the diagnostic result identification device is not limited to this. The diagnostic result identification device may be configured only by the call center server 8, and the call center server 8 may generate the simplified identification information.

[0065] In this embodiment, the diagnosis result identification device generates the simplified identification information. However, the smart home application AP of the smartphone 4 may generate the simplified identification information.

[0066] While one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment and includes design modifications within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components shown in the above-described embodiment and modifications can be configured in any suitable combination.

[0067] The programs for the control device 2 and other devices are recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The programs recorded on the recording medium are loaded into a computer system and executed. The term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, as well as storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" may also include devices that dynamically store programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs via networks such as the Internet or telephone lines, or devices that store programs for a fixed period of time, such as volatile memory within a computer system that serves as a server or client. The programs may be designed to implement some of the functions described above, or may be capable of implementing the functions in combination with programs already stored in the computer system, or may be implemented using a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0068] 100...Home system, AP...Smart home application, 1...Household equipment, 2...Control device, 21...Control unit, 22...Wireless communication unit, 23...Recording unit, 24...User authentication code, 25...User-related information, 26...Wireless connection information, 28...Information protection unit, 29...Communication initialization unit, 3...Access point, 4...Smartphone, 5...Device management server, 6...User management server, 7...EC server, 8...Call center server

Claims

1. A home system comprising: a home equipment; a terminal device; a control device that controls the home equipment and is capable of short-range wireless communication with the terminal device; and a diagnostic result identification device that is capable of communicating with the terminal device, wherein the terminal device acquires a device diagnostic result based on short-range wireless communication with the control device, and the diagnostic result identification device acquires the device diagnostic result from the terminal device and identifies the device diagnostic result acquired from the terminal device using temporarily valid simple identification information linked to the acquired device diagnostic result.

2. The home system according to claim 1, wherein the simplified identification information is an identification code that the terminal device associates with the device diagnosis result.

3. The home system according to claim 1, wherein the simplified identification information is an identification code that the diagnostic result identification device associates with the device diagnostic result.

4. The home system according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic result identification device manages a user authentication code unique to a user in the home system, and the diagnostic result identification device generates the simplified identification information which is simpler than the user authentication code.

5. The home system according to claim 1, wherein the simple identification information is unique identifiable information in a predetermined area for a predetermined period of time.

6. The home system according to claim 1, wherein the control device generates the device diagnosis result based on an instruction from the terminal device.

7. The home system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device generates the device diagnosis result based on information acquired from the control device via the short-range wireless communication.

8. The home system according to claim 1, wherein the device diagnosis results include user-related information managed by the control device.

9. The home system according to claim 1, wherein the home appliance is a water faucet device.

10. A control device comprising: a control unit that controls a home appliance; and a communication unit that is capable of short-range wireless communication with a terminal device, wherein the control unit generates a device diagnostic result based on an instruction from the terminal device, and the communication unit transmits the device diagnostic result via the terminal device to a diagnostic result identification device that identifies the device diagnostic result using temporarily valid simple identification information linked to the device diagnostic result.

11. A water faucet system comprising: the control device according to claim 10; and a water faucet device, which is the household equipment controlled by the control device.

12. A diagnostic result identification device capable of communicating with a terminal device, which acquires a device diagnostic result from the terminal device, and identifies the device diagnostic result using temporarily valid simplified identification information linked to the acquired device diagnostic result.

13. A terminal device that acquires device diagnostic results based on short-range wireless communication with a control device that controls a home appliance, and transmits the device diagnostic results to a diagnostic result identification device that identifies the device diagnostic results using temporarily valid simple identification information linked to the device diagnostic results.

14. A method for identifying device diagnostic results obtained from a control device that controls a home appliance, comprising: obtaining the device diagnostic results based on short-range wireless communication with the control device; and identifying the device diagnostic results using temporarily valid simple identification information linked to the obtained device diagnostic results.

15. A diagnostic result identification program for identifying device diagnostic results obtained from a control device that controls a home appliance, the diagnostic result identification program acquiring the device diagnostic results based on short-range wireless communication with the control device, and identifying the device diagnostic results using temporarily valid simple identification information linked to the acquired device diagnostic results.

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